Time To Break Out Your Lab Coat! (Review)

Science is all around us. From the food we eat to the cosmetics we wear. Now, Elmer’s has introduced 2 all-new science kits to promote fun and learning: Mythbusters Weird World of Water and the Magnificent Manicure Kit.

About the Mythbusters Weird World of WaterThe Mythbusters activity kits are trial and error hands-on format, made popular by the Discovery Channel’s top show. Each kit contains several myths for you to “bust” regarding the specific title. Besides the Weird World of Water, other kits include Power of Air Pressure and Forces of Flight.

With the Weird World of Water Kit, you can test the power of whirlpools, create a liquid rainbow, launch your own water=powered rocket, and more!

The Weird World of Water Kit just received the FamilyFun Magazine 2009 T.O.Y. award.

Suggested Price: $19.99Age Range: 9+Available Now

About the “Scientific Explorer” Magnificent Manicure KitScientific Explorer partnered with UC Berkeley’s Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS) program to create fun and educational science kits like the Magnificent Manicure Kit. In fact, the Magnificent Manicure Kit just picked up Creative Child Magazine‘s 2009 Toy of the Year Award in the Educational Toys category.

Magnificent Manicure Kits gives you everything you need to turn your house into a nail spa for the day.

Our Review of Both KitsTeam Mom sent us both of the kits from Elmer’s to test out and get our opinion. Ashley couldn’t have been more excited. She loves science, so these kits were right up her alley!

First, let’s talk about the Magnificent Manicure Kit:Ashley and I did this one together. Ashley is such a girly girl, and the fact that she could make her own hand lotion and other products – well, she just thought that was so incredibly cool.

We opened the box and got to work. The instructions were easy to follow, and there were even questions throughout the entire process to get Ashley thinking while she was creating. Because Ashley loves science so much, this was a great way for her to see that science really is all around us. It deepend her love of the subject even more, and since we’ve done this product, she’s now thinking more about the other products that we use every day. “Mom, what do you think they used to make this bubble bath?” “Mom, I bet I can name the solvent used in this baby wash.” I love how excited this kit got her.

We went through the entire book of experiments, and by the end, our hands and feet were shiny and as smooth as could be. If I could make one suggestion for this product, it would be to expand it a little further. This would be the perfect Slumber-Party activity. If they made the kit to include stuff for 5 – 6 girls to make the products at the same time, it would give each of them something to take home with them the next day, and they would even get a little education (the right kind of education!) while having something as fun as a slumber party!

Next, let’s talk about the Mythbuster’s Weird World of Water kit:My husband loves Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel, so I figured this would be a great way for him and Ashley to do something together. Not only was Ashley excited about the experiments included, my husband couldn’t wait to dive into them either! And the boys just had to watch. They sat at the kitchen table with their eyes glued to what Ash and Daddy were doing.

The first experiment they tried was the Myth of the Deadly Vortex. The boys thought this was so incredibly cool. Especially when we added the beads to it and watched what the vortex did to them. Again, the kit asked questions along the way to help encourage learning. Love that! After the explanation of the experiment, there’s a “Science Content” section that gets them thinking even more. It talks about what they saw in the experiment, and it encourages them to try different forms of the experiment.

The next experiment we tried was the Myth of the Man Who Could Walk on Water. This was my favorite experiment. I had no idea you could get a potato to float on water – or suspend it in the middle of a cylinder. But you can! It all has to do with the density of the liquid. And now even my 5 year old understands what “dense” means. (Referring to liquid. Not people. We won’t go there.)

We also tried the liquid rainbow. But, we must have done it wrong because we couldn’t get it to work. Instead, we just got a glass of red liquid. I think we’re just going to have to try it again. And we are definitely going to try the Myth of the Pantry Projectile. The kids are dying to blast off a homemade rocket!

************************As a homeschooling mom, these kits are exactly the kind of products that I can stand behind. The kinds of products that I want to have in my house, and the kind of products that I want around to encourage learning in my kids. To show them that learning doesn’t just have to come from a book. You can get hands-on and you can have fun.

And I love that the kits come from Elmer’s. They are absolutely a brand I trust. Honestly, before I received these products, I had no idea that Elmer’s made more than just school glue! They’ve got a whole slew of products and divisions that I will definitely be looking into more.

I am really impressed with both kits, and Ashley has already added the other 2 Mythbusters kits to her Christmas wish-list. You can bet that I’ll be getting them for her. I want her to grow her love for science even more, and I’ll gladly purchase the products that will help do that!

Consider adding these kits to your tween’s Christmas list. They’ll thank you for it. And who knows? You may just end up with your own little scientist because of them.

Disclaimer: Team Mom sent me each kit to test out with my kids and get my honest opinions and feedback. My review is simply what I found to be true with the products. Others may have different results.

Angie is a wife and mother to 8. Her life revolves around cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other household duties. She is passionate about her life in Christ and wants to encourage other mothers in their own walk of faith. Angie is active on many social media networks, loves technology, photography, and graphic design, and loves creating blog designs for other mom bloggers.